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QuizMultiple Choice

Boxplots and Outliers

Question 1 • Mathematics for College Liberal Arts Sem 1 (1207350) BCPS 2025-26

A box of LED light bulbs was tested to see how long the light bulbs last. The standard deviation of the light bulb lifetime data was five years. Which of the following is the best interpretation of this value?

Answer
A
Fifty percent of the light bulb lifetime data is below five years.
B
The difference between the longest and shortest light bulb lifetime was five years.
C
The lifetime of the light bulbs typically varies by about five years from the mean.
D
The middle half of the light bulb lifetime data has a range that is five years wide.

Explanation

Standard deviation describes how far data values typically lie from the mean. A standard deviation of five years means the bulb lifetimes typically vary by about five years from the average lifetime. It does not say that half the bulbs last less than five years or that the entire or middle-half range is five years wide.

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